future of prog

    And the classical 70s prog, obviously, is among the lowest of low in the hierachy of rock due to its issues like being too difficult to start with and being too bourgeois or elite-like. What's more, I think prog's mission to influence musicians has come to a halt these days. When we talk about 70s music, definitely, King Crimson, Genesis, Pink Floyd, ELP are big names we can't avoid whose influence was still carried into the 80s when Talking Heads, Marillion, Rush stepped up to the forefronts whith their legacies. (Btw: We can also make a bold claim: no prog in 70s, no Bohemian Rhapsody.) Math rock, opera rock, to name a few, all inherit prog's boldness in blending different musc elements. Even Kurt Kobain received KC's power of Red and started the legend we all know. But, now just tell me, besides new prog, have any famous rock stars during the two decades after 2000 specially mentioned 70s prog as the greatest impact and gained predominance over pops or massive popularity Dream Theatre, Tool, and the likes once had who can ascertain their roots back in 70s? Pretty rare. And the strak reality is, many new young fans are drawn to prog simply because of the publicity of JoJo's Bizarre Adventures instead of modern rock bands.

   There's another fact. I keep in contact with many rock fans. Some of them like prog but hate Keith Emerson especially. Their thinking is very simple: who the hell will be insterested in rock interpretation of classical songs that nobody actually listens to or even cares, which will take back to my aforementioned point on rock and classical music.

    But, what people must admit is that if someone delves into quintessential rocking music, rather than electrical pop sh*ts, those big names of prog are inevitable. They just stand there. Nobody can circumvent. The Beatles designed a blueprint of rock music and prog was one of the most outstanding pioneers to reinvent it. Their musicianship decides their characters: they are not postitutes to give pleasure, rather the cynical Diogenēs to push limits, explore boundaries. So, that is why when ELP started to embrace extravagance during mid 70s, their doom was inevitiable. And all classical prog bands died soon. 

   Still, new tech and interpretation of music helps to inspire kids to develop new prog of thier own. They put a completely different complexion over prog and ensure its continuity. Prog is not going to be doomed in the future. It just lives in another form we might not be familiar with.

Oh, I don't know....ELP's "Pictures at an Exhibition" was one long cover, yes?  

Sometimes a cover can be played progressively, like Yes' cover of "America" by Simon & Garfunkel.  That was recorded on the upswing of their progressive evolution as a band, not on the decline. 

I rarely hear young musicians playing covers, except for either practice or for kicks.   I do notice quite a bit of innovation going on, and experimentation.  

To make way for the young, the old gotta die. 

I say the world is heterogeneous and will still be. Cultural unification and diversification are going on at the same time. Certain music may survive through small minorities who are interested, while the big business will go elsewhere, at it has already done for a long time.  Some of these minorities will die out, some won't (it won't help that the generations who saw prog taking off will vanish, but we can be rather optimistic about somebody carrying on the torch). The old prog rock vs. progressive discussion is also important here, but actually to some extent both sides of the coin may survive, classical 70s prog rock may continue having some small but dedicated following, and the innovative part of the younger generations will progress, but chances are they will not necessarily progress in the directions where the older generation would want them to go. Whether what comes out would still be associated in any way with "progressive rock" is anyone's guess, but that has already been a broad church in the seventies, which was and is a good thing for sure, and helpful for survival

Of course most minor bands will be forgotten but then there may be the odd exception, maybe a few hundred people worldwide who still fly the flag of, say, Zeuhl or whatever, in 2100, and be it just for taking pride of being different.

Conclusion: What do I know? 

Maybe English is not your first language but that is still a truly great post nevertheless.